Goodbye Mother
by the-writer1988
Summary: Anakin Skywalker and family reflect upon Shmi Skywalker at her funeral. Part of my 'A Mother's Love' universe.


**A/N) Hello everyone! Welcome back for this one-shot set in my 'A Mother's Love' universe. It has taken me a lot longer than I thought it would to write this. Mainly because the subject matter of this one-shot came at the wrong time for me. We had a death in the family so writing this type of fic has been hard so I had to put it off for a while before I felt I could tackle this one-shot.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Star Wars. Disney does.

 **NOTES:** This is a one-shot sequel to my two main Star Wars stories 'A Mother's Love' and 'A Jedi's Love'. I highly recommend these stories are read first as reading this one-shot without knowing the background to my universe might be quite confusing...

So, onto the short story...

* * *

 **Title:** Goodbye Mother

 **Author:** the-writer1988

 **Rating:** K

 **Summary:** Anakin Skywalker and family reflect upon Shmi Skywalker at her funeral. Part of my 'A Mother's Love' universe.

* * *

 **Goodbye Mother**

 _Shmi Skywalker Layson has died at the age of 83 after a short illness, the Jedi Temple announced today. Shmi Layson has worked at the Jedi Temple for nearly forty years: she loved her role so much she refused to retire and carried on working in a part time capacity. A statement will be released by her family later. She leaves behind her husband Darec, her children Anakin and Kia and three grandchildren: Leia, Luke and Ben. –_ DAILY CORUSCANT NEWS.

It was just a small announcement in the news however a prominent one. Despite not being that famous, Shmi's death made the news – not because she was the mother of the Jedi hero, Anakin Skywalker, but because of the extensive charity work she had undertaken later in her life. She had worked hard to end the oppression of ordinary people in the outer rim, setting up several charities to help end slavery and to campaign for a fair and free life for all. She drew upon her own experiences and even wrote a book on her time as a slave and what it had done to her family.

Shmi Skywalker had been one of the lucky ones. She had found her freedom: a second life, one that many slaves had never had.

Though her ultimate goal to achieve freedom for all slaves had not been reached, Darec and Kia had vowed to continue what Shmi had started.

Despite being gone, the legacy of Shmi Skywalker would live on. She would always be remembered fondly as someone truly special.

* * *

Anakin stood in front of the closed coffin holding his mother's body. It would be a simple ceremony for her but held on the grounds of the Jedi Temple before being transferred inside to be cremated. The ceremony was being held outside because it wouldn't just be family members who wanted to say farewell, it was friends as well as all those she had aided through her charity work.

"Dad, are you okay?"

Anakin looked back to find his son Luke standing behind him. His son's once blond hair had darkened but it still retained some of its light. His eyes were still bright blue and his facial features resembled more Anakin than his mother. "Yeah, I am. I keep thinking that this day might not have happened. You nearly never knew your grandmother."

"I don't think I would have been born, dad, if things had been different," replied Luke carefully.

Anakin doubted that too. "I wouldn't have been able to marry your mother either."

His mother being around him had changed his life. Anakin shuddered to think of what might have been. Would his mother have died in slavery if she had not been freed? Kia wouldn't exist and Luke, Leia and his younger son, Ben, wouldn't either. He was very lucky to have his family.

Though his mother had enabled him to be a better Jedi then he could ever be without her, it was Obi-Wan who deserved the credit. If he had not initiated the changes necessary to change the Jedi Order forever, Shmi Skywalker would have been left on Tatooine, rotting in the life of a slave, unable to see her son ever again. She would never have known her grandchildren, though Anakin doubted he would even have them if his mother had not been allowed to be a part of his Jedi life.

"I'll miss grandmother," said Luke quietly. "She was… an inspirational woman."

"Yeah, she was," smiled Anakin. His mother dying wasn't a time to be sad: it was a time to celebrate her life. And that was what he fully intended to do. "Even though she is gone… her legacy will live on through us."

* * *

For once the grounds of the Jedi Temple were open to the public and select members of the press. Shmi's coffin lay on a white slab in the centre of a small rose bush garden. Her body had been laid here as it had become one of her favourite places to be when she was on a break or having lunch. It also had the perfect view of the skyline of Coruscant and a nice easterly breeze.

Over two hundred people arrived for the service, more than the family had been expecting. In addition to those numbers, the Jedi Council came out, as well as quite a few Jedi Knights bringing the total number of guests to the service to nearly three hundred.

Padmé Amidala Skywalker sat in the front row with her daughter Leia beside her. Padmé had chosen to attend as both Senator and daughter-in-law to Shmi Skywalker.

Leia had decided to represent the Jedi, wearing her Jedi robes. Though Leia was working in the Senate, she was still a trained Jedi. It had been her grandmother's help and advice that had enabled her to make the right choice for herself. Leia still held that memory close to her chest. Closing her brown eyes, she could visualise her grandmother's face and words.

" _You are who you make yourself to be, Leia. You are still young with so many paths in front of you. One would say you have to be a Jedi, another a Senator but only one person makes that decision for you. And that person is you."_

It had been those simple words that had spurred Leia on to be a Jedi and a politician. Officially Leia was the Jedi's representative in the Senate – a position her mother had created during her few terms as Chancellor of the Republic. The first Jedi to hold that particular position had been Obi-Wan who had taken Leia under his wing. She had learned a lot from him. If it hadn't been for her grandmother, Leia might not have considered combining her two loves into one role for herself to take on.

"I remember meeting her for the first time," said a voice to Leia's right. "It was her that helped your dad accept me."

Leia curled her fingers into the hand of her husband, squeezing it gently. They had only been married a few months. They were a pair who had not been expected to last together. "Dad would have accepted you anyway, Han."

Han Solo grimaced. "I'm not so sure, sweetheart."

"Dad gave you a chance before. There is no reason to assume he wouldn't have accepted you dating me," pointed out Leia.

Her relationship with Han had been complicated to start with. She had first met Han when she was fifteen years old and he had been twenty-four. Han had trained as a pilot but had been unable to secure a position within the Republic military so he had turned his hand to smuggling, just to make ends meet. Unfortunately for Han, he'd had a run in with the Republic but the result had ended up with Han rescuing her father and Master Kenobi from a band of pirates. Han had saved their lives. Recognising his unique flying skills, Anakin had offered Han a place as part of the fighter squadron he commanded. Leia's mother had wanted to meet and thank the pilot responsible for rescuing her husband personally so Han had been invited to a meal with the Skywalker family. That had been the first time Leia and Han had first set eyes upon one another. When Leia had turned seventeen years old, Han had asked her out, much to her father's annoyance. Anakin had threatened to kick Han off of his squadron. It had been Leia's grandmother soothing things over had enabled their relationship to progress. Leia could understand where her father was coming from – she was his daughter and any father would feel the same way about a prospective partner for their children.

Leia had learned a lot from her grandmother – she had gained an appreciation and a desire to help the poor and those more unfortunate then herself. That was why she sought to place herself in both the Jedi and the Senate.

Her eyes turned towards the coffin. Leia had experienced death but not to someone so close to her before. She knew she would always miss her grandmother but in the actions she took, she would honour Shmi Skywalker's memory.

* * *

Ben Skywalker stood beside his Aunt Kia. He had just been promoted to Jedi Knight. He had hoped to reach that title before his grandmother died. Unlike his older brother and sister, Ben had been named for his father's Master, though with the nickname Obi-Wan's wife called him by. His middle name was Jinn, in honour of the deceased Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, who had been responsible for bringing his father into the Jedi Order.

Ben was also more of a mixture of his parents. Luke resembled their father whilst Leia resembled their mother, but Ben was a mixture of both. His hair was light brown, his eyes hazel, a mixture between blue and brown and his nose pointed out before ending in a button shape. He was also taller than Leia and Luke, having inherited their father's height most of all.

"Ben?" Kia glanced up at her nephew. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," he answered. His eyes focused upon the coffin that held his grandmother's body in it. "It feels strange knowing that I will never see her again. There is always something I will remember about her. Grandmother was always very passionate about the causes she believed in and I think without her I wouldn't be where I am today. She taught all of us loads of things. Whenever I look at anyone enslaved, my first instinct is to stop it from happening. I know we can't always do that but if I can help anyone like that, I will. I can honour my grandmother's memory like that."

Kia smiled. As she had grown older she had greatly resembled her mother. "She'd like that. That's what I plan to do myself as well. I will help those that need it. We may never be able to free or abolish slavery completely in the galaxy but we can do our best. There will always be those who wish to exploit the weak and vulnerable. No matter how we try to end it."

Ben nodded. "But there is one thing grandmother did in her life and that was to raise awareness of slavery. More people are aware of that practice and she wasn't alone in trying to seek a way to end it in the galaxy completely."

Kia cocked her head to the side, smiling sadly. "You know, she said something similar to me once, a very long time ago. She said 'slavery has been known throughout the galaxy and many turn a blind eye to it, but when its brought to the forefront and becomes an issue, many will find ways to abolish that practice for good'. Without mum, slavery wouldn't have become as large an issue as it has. And our family will continue it, in memory of her."

"Yeah. It's her legacy."

* * *

Forty years ago, Darec Layson had met the woman he was going to marry. Now he stood silently beside his daughter and grandson. Even though he wasn't Anakin's biological father, the Jedi Knight considered him his own children's grandfather. He had been honoured to be named grandfather despite not being a father to Anakin. He could still remember the day he had met Shmi. It was ingrained in his memory. He would never forget that day.

 _It had been one of those days at the bank that Darec had hated. He had to get every sort of customer but it just seemed to be his bad luck today he was getting the worst of them. He couldn't let it get to him. He still had half a day of work to go before he could go home for the weekend and relax._

" _You look like you could do with a nice drink," said a voice. "Bad day?"_

 _Oh, that was right, he had pressed the button to call the next customer. He braced himself, putting on a winning smile and found himself staring into the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. His stomach dropped and he felt his cheeks flaming._

" _It hasn't been the best day I've ever had," he found himself responding, "but it has suddenly got a lot better."_

 _The woman's own cheeks blushed. "That's a bit unprofessional isn't it?" she teased._

" _Only if you want it to be," Darec responded, taking a big risk._

 _The woman reached into her purse. "I have some money I'd like to put into my account." She handed him her details and Darec swiftly made the transaction._

" _So…" he began._

" _I'm hard to catch," the woman answered. Though her face was hard, her eyes reflected the enjoyment she was feeling at their interactions. "But you can chase me… if you like."_

 _Within a few months of meeting, Darec had successfully asked Shmi Skywalker out on a date. The two had become an item not long after that._

His colleagues had called him crazy for daring to flirt with a customer. If she had not liked it, he might have lost his job but Darec had picked wisely. Shmi Skywalker had been everything he had wanted in a woman: beautiful, kind, caring, funny, but most of all, courageous. He couldn't imagine settling down with anyone else. He had been lucky to have found her.

Out of Shmi he had gained a family, not just a daughter but a son too, both of whom he loved deeply. Without Shmi, he wouldn't have been content in his life. He owed her for that and would always remember the happier times. His wife may be gone, but Darec knew her memory would continue to live in those that remembered her.

* * *

Satine arrived with her and Obi-Wan's two children five minutes later, settling into place alongside the Skywalker family. Though she and Shmi Skywalker had started a late friendship, Anakin's mother had become a great part of her and her children's lives. Tian and Kinlan-Jinn both recognised Shmi as the grandmother they had never had. Whenever she had needed someone to help her out, Shmi had always been willing to step forward, even when she had been looking after her three other grandchildren.

Padmé leaned towards Satine, keeping her voice low as people continued to arrive. "How are Tian and Kinlan-Jinn holding up?"

"Quite well, thank you, Padmé," answered Satine. She had chosen to wear a black dress with her hair tied up in a bun. "They were both off-world when I sent word to them Shmi had died. They returned as quickly as they possibly could, however they had to wait for the Council's replacements to arrive first. Otherwise they would have been to see the family earlier."

Padmé nodded. "It's okay. They're Jedi. Things are going to happen when they're off world. I'm glad the Council agreed to allow them to come home. Shmi affected a lot of Jedi in the Temple – she was very popular. A lot are turning up today to honour her. Usually the Jedi only turn out in Force when it's a respected member of their own Order to honour."

"I've noticed that too. However Shmi helped change the Jedi Order for good. Without her contribution you and I would not be married to who we are and our children would not exist," explained Satine. All the Skywalker and Kenobi children understood if it hadn't of been for Shmi's role in Anakin's life succeeding then relationships wouldn't have been allowed. Neither Anakin or Obi-Wan would have been allowed to marry the women they loved. "I wonder where we would both be now without her?"

"I'd probably still be serving Naboo in some capacity… maybe even found love eventually," answered Padmé.

"I'd probably be Senator of Mandalore. I wouldn't have stayed Duchess forever."

"Your life would have ended up the same then, minus Obi-Wan and your children," added Padmé.

Satine nodded sadly. "I'm glad life ended up the way it did."

"Shmi always credited Obi-Wan for being the reason she could be a part of her son's life," continued Padmé, "in a way she's right. But Shmi made the contributions on her own merit and made attachments a positive aspect to the Jedi Order, one that should not be ignored."

"I think grandmother's role in the Jedi Order will always be remembered," spoke up Tian Kenobi, her reddish hair trailing down her back. She had her mother's eyes but resembled Obi-Wan more. "I know she isn't our grandmother biologically… but she feels like it. She was always there for all of us, regardless of our problems. I'd say she was even wiser then Master Yoda."

A smile pulled at Satine's lips. "Don't let your father hear you say that."

The small group chuckled. Despite the sadness that had gripped their family, even memories could be responsible for bringing one out of sadness and to reflect happily upon the loved one they had lost.

* * *

Luke had left to join his mother and sister whilst Anakin remained in front of his mother's coffin. Before the ceremony could start, he needed his brother here.

 _I'm here, Anakin._

A slight smile broke out over Anakin's face as he turned to face his brother, his former Master, Obi-Wan.

"Are you ready?" asked Obi-Wan carefully, stepping forward.

Anakin swallowed a lump in his throat. "I am." He placed a hand on the coffin. It was hard. His mother had been there for him all his life… Even during the year they had been separated. She had always been in his thoughts. "You know… She kept me grounded. Kept me away from really trusting Palpatine. She always had that suspicion about him. I think without her, I may have fallen into his trap. But without your foresight and your willingness to take a risk in taking responsibility, you gave me the chance to grow up with her. Everything my mum achieved is down to you."

"Anakin…" Obi-Wan began.

"Don't. You know it as well as I do. My mum's life was made better because of you. All of our lives were," explained Anakin. "Mum told me that once. She was always grateful to you. You saved her when I could not."

"I did what was right, Anakin. I knew you needed your mother. I wasn't going to sit back and allow you to struggle," admitted Obi-Wan. "And… having Shmi here, a part of our lives, helped everyone. She did so much." He placed his hand on his chest. "We will always remember her in the deepest part of our hearts."

Anakin swallowed. "Yeah."

He turned back out to the crowd that had finished assembling.

 _I'll be here if you need me…_ said Obi-Wan over the bond as he stepped to the side.

Anakin walked towards the podium, shoulders rolled back and head held high.

He would lead the tribute to his mother, just as she would have wanted him to.

* * *

The funeral was tasteful and Shmi's goodbye service was one that she would have loved. Her whole life was celebrated. Donations were made in her name to the charity she had set up to help those who remained in slavery and her family were very grateful for the support they received.

Even years later after Shmi Skywalker's death, even after the passing of Anakin himself, his children's, children's, children continued the noble work that Shmi Skywalker had started.

No one would ever forget the contribution she had made to the galaxy.

Shmi Skywalker would always be remembered.

 **The End**

 **Please let me know what you think!**

 **Ok, so the important things with this one-shot is we get to see how the character's lives played out after 'A Jedi's Love'. Luke and Leia have a younger sibling called Ben... Obi-Wan and Satine have two children. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan wanted to honour Qui-Gon in some way so gave their children the name 'Jinn' - Ben has it as his middle name and Obi-Wan's son incorporated 'Jinn' into his son's first name. Kinlan-Jinn and Tian... I just made those names up... They sounded good to me at the time.**

 **Leia and Han are still together although with a slightly different history of how they met then in canon. I deliberately decided to have them marry only a few months before this fic is set because we do not know if in the new canon if they have any children. I will decide what I want to do on that.**

 **'Goodbye Mother' is finished. However a companion piece to this one-shot will be written called 'A Jedi's Legacy'.**

 **'A Jedi's Legacy' will deal with how people remember Obi-Wan and then Anakin after they are gone. My current plan is for it to be a three-chaptered fic. I'm not sure when it will be up but I hope to have it written by end of July and preferably posted before then too.**

 **I may... just may - and I make no promises - I may write the Obi-Wan and Anakin meet Han Solo story that is briefly mentioned in this one-shot. I'm not sure if it is something I want to tackle. We will see.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this one-shot!**

 **Until 'A Jedi's Legacy'!**

 **the-writer1988**


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